Device for handling sheet-like material

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for effective handling of sheet material, such as banknotes, or transferred messages printed on sheet material, wherein the arrangement comprises sheet bundling means ( 33 ), a store ( 25, 27 ) of so-called enveloping material ( 26, 28 ), means ( 30, 32, - 34 ) for enveloping bundles of sheet material with material ( 26, 28 ) taken from the store ( 25, 29 ) of enveloping material, wherein said store includes two mutually co-acting rolls ( 25′, 27′ ) of enveloping material; and processors for co-ordinating and controlling the co-action between the various units in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The store of enveloping material ( 25, 27 ) has pulse generating elements ( 2521, 2531, 2522, 2532 ). Pulse reading elements ( 29 ) for reading the pulses generated in response to roll movement and sending these pulses to the processor are provided on a fixed body ( 20 ) of the arrangement and in close connection with the pulse generating elements.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for effective handling of sheet material, such as banknotes or transferred sheet printed messages, wherein the arrangement includes sheet bundling means, a store of bundle enveloping or packaging material, means for enveloping a bundle of sheet material with enveloping material taken from said store, said store including two mutually co-acting rolls of enveloping material, and further includes processor for co-ordinating and controlling the mutual co-action of the various units in the arrangement in accordance with a predetermined pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Arrangements of this kind are known to the art; see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,379. Although these arrangements have functioned well per se and fulfil a need, more and more sophisticated requirements have been expressed as the use of and the interest in such arrangements has grown. For instance, it is desired to know

[0003] when there is no more packaging or enveloping material left in the store; how much material is left in the store; the number of envelopes that can be produced from the remaining supply of material;

[0004] whether or not a collected sheet bundle has been enveloped in the material and correctly welded-off from the store of enveloping material;

[0005] whether or not a newly inserted store of enveloping material is positioned correctly; and

[0006] the type of enveloping material that is stored in the arrangement at that particular time.

[0007] Issues of this nature can be dealt with easily and positively by arrangements constructed in accordance with the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In accordance with the present invention the store of enveloping material in an arrangement of the aforesaid kind is provided with pulse generating elements and pulse reading elements are disposed on a fixed body of the arrangement in close connection with said pulse generating elements on the store, said pulse reading elements functioning to read pulses that are generated in response to roll movement and to transfer these pulses to the arrangement processor. These and other characteristic features of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the schematic drawings, in which

[0010]FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,379;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an enveloping material carrying roller and shows end walls and pulse generating elements; and

[0012]FIG. 3 is a front view of an end wall that carries pulse generating and pulse reading elements.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The known arrangement shown in FIG. 1 includes a telefax-type receiver 10 which includes signal receiving means and a printer 43 for printing of received messages on sheets taken from a sheet store 41, and a closed casing 11 which as the sheets are printed, functions to bundle together printed sheets that have passed through the printer 43. Also included is a store (rolls) 25, 27 of enveloping material 26 and 28 in which the collected bundles of sheets are enveloped, or enclosed. The bundles are enclosed with the aid of first joining elements 30 which function to produce vertical joins (parallel with the plane of the paper); second joining elements 32-34 which function to produce horizontal joins (perpendicular to the plane of the paper); and transport rollers 35 for transporting the enclosed bundle of sheets to a lockable box 14.

[0014]FIG. 2 illustrates a sub-store 25 containing enveloping or enclosing material (plastic) 26. The material is rolled-up on a cylindrical bobbin 251 which has an end wall 252, 253 fitted on respective ends thereof. Each of the end walls has pulse generating means, namely an outer clock pulse generating element 2521, 2531 close to the periphery of respective end walls, and an inner information generating means 2522, 2532 closer to the centre of respective end walls.

[0015] Mounted on the fixed frame 20 of the sheet enclosing device, in close connection with the pulse generating elements 2521, 2522 on the left end wall 252 of the sub-store 25 is a pulse reading element 29 which functions to read pulses (clock pulses, information pulses) delivered in response to rotational movement of the sub-store 25, and to send these pulses to a processor that is adapted particularly for co-ordinating and controlling the mutual co-action of the various units in the arrangement.

[0016] The pulse reading element 29 is comprised of an outer clock pulse detecting sub-element 291 and an inner information reading sub-element 292. Each sub-element includes a “fork” which embraces a pulse generating element on the end wall when a supply of enveloping material is placed correctly in the arrangement; in other words, respective sub-elements will constantly read-off the associated pulse generating element as the sub-store 25 rotates.

[0017]FIG. 3 illustrates the sub-store end wall 252 with said outer pulse generating element 2521, the inner information generating element 2522, and the pulse reading element 29 with its two fork-like sub-elements 291 for the element 2521 and the sub-element 292 for the element 2522.

[0018] As will be seen, the element 2521 has eight (8) teeth and eight (8) interspaces over a peripheral area of 90 degrees, whereas the element 2522 has, in the illustrated case, only one tooth and one interspace on the same length of arc.

[0019] Located between two side walls are two guide struts 36, 37 which function partly to guide a roll when positioning the roll in place in the arrangement, and partly to provide a safe support for the roll during operation of the arrangement. These guide struts ensure that the pulse generating elements 2521, 2522 obtain a correct free position in relation to the pulse reading sub-elements 291, 292. These elements include, in a known manner, light emitting elements and light sensitive elements on each side of the arcuate elements 2521, 2522.

[0020] Pulses outputted from the outer pulse generating element inform that the roll rotates. A comparison between the pulses from outer and the inner pulse generating elements indicates the direction in which the roll rotates, and pulses outputted by inner pulse generating element give, for example, information relating to the type of enveloping material in the store, the quality of said material, its thickness, etc.

[0021] The arrangement of pulse generating elements on the rolls provides further possibilities of steering/controlling the arrangement. In the production of rolls of enveloping or encasing material, this control facility is achieved by first winding the material through a number of turns in one direction and then winding the remainder of the material on the roll or bobbin in the reverse direction. This gives the advantage that as the enveloping material is taken of the rolls, the two rolls will rotate in given (mutually opposite) directions, which are sensed by the pulse sensing element. When unwinding of the material has reached the point at which the winding-on direction was reversed, the rolls will stand still during continued unwinding of the material by virtue of the material sliding off from the underlying turn, wherewith the rolls will rotate in another direction until there is no material left. The sequence comprising rotation in one direction—stationary rolls—rotation in the reverse direction is sensed by he element 29, which thereby causes pre-determined signals to be sent to the processor and also certain process/signals in the arrangement via the processor.

[0022] The co-ordinating and controlling processor described above is indicated at 15 in FIG. 1.

[0023] It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the described exemplifying embodiment entailing the transfer of sheet-printed messages. For instance, the invention can also be applied in connection with the handling of banknotes where bundles of banknotes are enveloped, encased or likewise packaged. Each bundle may contain 100 banknotes or the bundles may alternatively contain mutually different pre-determined numbers of banknotes. In this case, a given number of banknotes are dispensed singly from a store of banknotes and gathered into a bundle, which is then encased in enveloping material taken from the store of enveloping material (plastic) by means provided downstream to this end, all in accordance with what has been described above. 

1. An arrangement for effective handling of sheet material, such as banknotes, or transferred messages printed on sheet material, wherein the arrangement comprises means (33) for collecting the sheet material into bundles; a store (25, 27) of so-called enveloping material (26, 28); means (30, 32,-34) for enveloping a bundle of sheet material with material (26,28) taken from the store of enveloping material, wherein said store includes two mutually co-acting rolls (25′, 27′) of enveloping material; and a processor (15) for co-ordinating and controlling the co-action between the various units in the arrangement in accordance with a predetermined pattern, characterized in that the store of enveloping material (25, 27) includes pulse generating elements (2521, 2531; 2522, 2532); and in that pulse reading elements (29) which function to read pulses delivered in response to movement of the rolls 825′, 27′) and transfer these pulses to the processor (15) are provided on a fixed body (20) on the arrangement in the close proximity of the pulse generating elements (2521, 2522) of the store (e.g. 25).
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the pulse generating elements (e.g. 2521, 2522) are disposed on end walls (e.g. 252, 253) of the enveloping material store (25, 27) and consist of an outer clock pulse generating element (2521) close to the periphery of respective rolls (25′), and an inner information generating element (2522) closer to the centre of respective rolls (25′); and in that a pulse reading element (291, 292) is provided for each (2521 and 2522) of the two pulse generating elements. 